SERVAL FACTFILE

NAME Serval

SCIENTIFIC NAME Leptailurus serval

GEOGRAPHIC RANGE Central and Southern Africa.

HABITAT Savannah habitats, preferring tall grasses and dry reed beds near streams.

LIFESPAN Approx. 10 years in the wild. Up to 20 years in captivity.

WEIGHT 7– 18kg

DIET Rodents, birds, reptiles, frogs and insects.

WILD POPULATION Unknown

IUCN RED LIST STATUS

Currently not at risk of becoming extinct in the wild.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Servals are a medium sized African wildcat, recognised by there long slender legs, elongated neck and large ears. They have a pale yellow coat with black markings, consisting of spots and stripes. Servals have the longest legs, proportionally, of the cat family. There back legs are longer and more powerful than the front, enabling them to jump from a standstill 3 metres vertically, meaning they are amazing bird

catchers! The front legs are long and slender, allowing them to reach into small burrows, holes and crevasses to find hiding rodents. Servals also use their huge ears

to listen for prey. They have ultrasonic hearing allowing them to hear the high pitched communications of rodents. The main technique servals use to trap there prey is by taking a giant leap into the air and pouncing down onto their victims,

stunning their prey with the force of their bodyweight.

With its many adaptations, Servals are considered to be one of the most successful hunters in the cat family. Studies show they have a 50% success rate when hunting.

THREATS

• Poaching– although there is not a huge demand for serval skins, their furs are often sold on as cheetah and leopard furs. These furs fetch a high price and due to their smaller size, more servals are poached to match the size of cheetah and leopard skins. Servals are also hunted for sport and ceremonial purposes in parts of Africa.

• Human– wildlife conflict– servals are opportunistic hunters and on occasion take poultry. Servals are persecuted by farmers in retaliation.

• Habitat loss– the loss and degradation of wetland habitats, due to increased urbanisation and land use change. This habitat type is of prime importance to servals as has the highest rodent densities. Fires and over grazing also leads to the loss of grasslands.

• Illegal pet trade– can be taken for the exotic pet trade. May also be cross bred with domestic cats resulting in the domestic breed, Savannah cats.

SERVAL RANGE